Assistant Professor of Physics

Position Overview

Part of the NSF EPSCoR Ge-STAR Project (Germanium Science and Technology for Advanced Research).

Focus on Ge-based science and technology, with research in:

• High-purity germanium (HPGe) detectors for rare-event physics (dark matter, neutrino properties)
• Medical imaging using Ge-based sensors
• AI/ML applications in materials science, detector development, and data analysis

Responsibilities

• Develop an externally funded research program aligned with Ge-STAR goals
• Teach graduate and undergraduate courses in Physics and AI/ML in Data Sciences
• Contribute to interdisciplinary collaborations within USD and the Ge-STAR project

Unique Resources at USD

• World’s only public high-purity germanium crystal growth facility
• Collaborations with international rare-event physics experiments: LEGEND, SuperCDMS, COHERENT
• Infrastructure and expertise for AI/ML research in materials informatics and detector optimization

Minimum Qualifications

• PhD in Physics, Computational Physics, Medical Physics, Materials Science, or a closely related field by the time of appointment
• Potential for high-quality research and effective teaching

Preferred Qualifications

• Research experience with:
• Ge detector technology
• Low-background experiments
• Medical imaging systems or related areas

Application Materials

• Cover letter
• Curriculum vitae (CV)
• Statement of research interests and future plans (max 3 pages)
• Teaching philosophy statement (max 2 pages)
• Contact information for at least three references

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Equal Opportunity

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Provides equal employment opportunities regardless of protected status.